Ocean's Spray
by uoduck
Summary: Post "Aquaman". Another Atlantean washes up near a lighthouse, this time one in England. Pre-slash. Harry/Orm Marius.


AN: I do not own either HP or Aquaman or anything remotely connected with either of them.

* * *

Harry sighed as he sat down on the dock, lowering his back to the wooden pier and looked up to the night sky. This world was no different than his original world, no new constellations, no new species, no new places to see. The lighthouse beacon shone for miles above him, shining out towards the Atlantic Ocean.

A hiss behind him made his heart skip a beat and then the sound of hooves and claws relaxed him. "Hey, Buckbeak."

The hippogriff trotted towards him and lay down next to him, curling around him almost. Harry smiled and reached out to stroke Buckbeak's wings and turned up to the sky again, pondering the new world he was in. He had arrived here just a month ago, with only a magicked trunk, his wand, and the clothes on his back to his name. Though it wasn't like he was poor or lacked anything else other than a wand and clothes.

He had prepared everything in advance of going through the veil, putting away his Gringotts fortune in his trunk, creating a habitat for Buckbeak and a few certain other creatures in the trunk, dropping in copies of the Black family library, copies of every single book in Hogwarts and his various clothes and quidditch gear that he had.

Buckbeak's breathing calmed him and he could see Fawkes flying about in the trees west of his home. There was no neighboring house for miles around, which he preferred and looked for extensively before throwing up his hands and creating a home for himself and his… family. The last magical creatures that he could save. And as the only wizard in this world, he had found that he couldn't live without the connections to his home world. The connections to Hogwarts. Connections to his friends.

The clear night sky shone above them and the stars twinkled down at them, no cloud in sight. Buckbeak edged closer and a cry above them drew Harry's attention as Fawkes flew in towards them. The ocean just right in front of them was choppy this night, many big waves coming inland. He idly wondered if there was something happening beneath the water, remembering the news reports a day after he had arrived here.

Every reporter had said something about a guy called Aquaman, mentioning too the Superman, Batman, Cyborg, the Flash. Harry hadn't blinked at the mentions, at the articles that had talked of the events in Gotham six months ago or the events in Russia. He had just been starting to build his home, build a lighthouse tower right next to it just in case anyone ever questioned how or why someone had built a house here.

He had no interest in being a hero again, in all the turns and in the spotlight that would inevitably be put on him. Harry wanted peace and quiet for a while, wanted the ability to choose what he wanted to do. He yawned and sat up, seeing Buckbeak narrow his eyes up at him and laughed at the look. "You can stay out here, Beaky. There's no one around for miles."

The ocean grew more choppy and tense as a big wave crashed into the dock and beach around them. Buckbeak startled and quickly stood up, with Harry summoning his wand and flicking it in the air to produce an umbrella. His eyes widened as even bigger waves came in and then turned and ran towards his home, a medium sized, one story house that was utterly beautiful. Buckbeak joined him and Harry couldn't even hear Buckbeak's hooves over the sound of the roaring ocean.

Fawkes both flew in and perched on the porch railing in front of him while Harry watched as the waves grew and grew. Clouds moved in and hid the moon from view for a few minutes and Harry stared, unblinking, at the rough movement of the water.

"I hope Norberta and her mate are safe in their barn," Harry muttered as the ocean seemed to retreat around them. "They hate the rain, which I suppose is to be expected."

Fawkes cried out and flew up into the air as the waves slowly calmed down and the clouds that hid the moon moved on. Harry took a step off the porch, raising an eyebrow at the soaking wet dock and stepped down from the porch stairs, looking out at the now calm ocean. The moon was shining down on the small beach, down on the rocks that surrounded the small beach and… Harry stopped in his tracks at the sight that awaited him, the man that had seemingly washed up from the ocean.

The man looked bedraggled, soaking wet and bloody. Harry took a running start towards the small beach clearing, veering around a few washed up logs and rocks and knelt to take a good look at the man. He took in the scaly wetsuit, the washed out, wet blond hair and the blood that soaked through the suit and slipped his arms around the man's shoulders.

The guy groaned, spit up water as Harry hoisted him up, bringing one of his arms around his neck and slipping an arm around his waist. As Harry took a step back towards his house, the guy went limp, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. Harry's heart skipped a beat and then he hastened up the porch steps and up into the home, heading into the guest room on the first floor.

Buckbeak followed and so did Fawkes, the only two animals that were allowed inside, as Harry more than half carried the stranger into the room. He summoned towels and watched as the material floated into the room and directed them onto the bed before lowering the guy down onto the mattress.

Harry sighed and stared down at the guy then got to work, stripping off the white and purple wetsuit and finding the wounds that looked an awful lot like they had been made by a sword. He summoned his medical kit, the kit that included potions, magical bandages and pastes and held his wand to the injuries, clearing up the blood.

The wounds looked small and precise when they weren't covered in blood, which Harry made a note of. He murmured spells and charms under his breath, beginning the healing process. The flesh was already on its way to mending, even without the magic that Harry was putting in, and that decided him. This guy, whoever he was, was not exactly human. Unless people in this world were just like this anyway.

Harry snorted at the thought, licking his lips at the guy's chest, seeing the well made pecs and the lack of fat. He wondered where the guy came from and what he was, if he wasn't human. Regardless, he was very much still attracted to him. Something of the man reminded him of Draco but Harry shook that off, pulled a light sheet from the cabinet in the room and covered the guy with it as soon as he was finished healing.

He had draped the man's wetsuit on the rocking chair next to the bed and took a closer look at it, pointing his wand at it and murmuring a reparo charm. The holes knitted themselves together, the scaly wetsuit coming together smoothly, and he whispered a charm to suck off the blood and dirt. The suit looked as good as new when he was done with it, the fish scales bright and still retaining a degree of salt water, something he had tried to get off but was unsuccessful.

He stepped over to the doorway as he finished, took one last look at the man and then headed to the couch in the living room. His own bedroom was upstairs but he had a stranger in his home and he wanted to keep an eye on him. With a few flicks of his wand, his couch looked very comfortable, a pillow at the end that would allow him to oversee the guest room and some blankets already covering the couch cushions. The couch was a little bigger too, mirroring Harry's bed.

Buckbeak looked to him and then walked over to the couch as Harry walked to the bathroom and did his business. When he walked out, in pajamas and yawning, Buckbeak was curled up on the foot of the couch, soft, quiet little snores coming out of his nose. Fawkes was perched up on one of the beams near the ceiling, the wooden logs having come from Hogwarts that Harry had brought over with him. Harry grinned, hearing Norberta roar once out in the dragon barn, and then slipped underneath the covers, murmuring a goodnight to both creatures.

* * *

Orm woke up to the sun shining onto him, coming through the windows. There was a soft surface mattress underneath him, his fingers curling into the sheets below. Someone had stripped off his wetsuit, had left a shirt and comfortable looking leggings on a chair with his folded wetsuit next to the bed. An invitation of sorts, he supposed. He wondered who had found him, as he sat up and pushed the light sheet away from him.

There was a bandage wrapped around his chest, around his leg, at the two points that he had been sliced through by Black Manta. Manta, the man that had gotten into Atlantis somehow. The human man that he had asked to kill Mera and his half-brother Arthur. He shuddered and slipped off the bed, his fingers aching for his trident, the one that Arthur had broken in their final match.

Arthur was now King of Atlantis and he… he had failed. The surface dwellers needed to be held accountable for their actions and now… He had nothing. And yet, he had his mother, who he had seen was still alive. Still alive after being sacrificed to the Kingdom of the Trench. Still alive after years and years of him thinking she was dead. After his father had ordered her exiled and sacrificed to the Trench.

A roar drew his attention away from his thoughts and he walked over to the chair, reaching out his hand for his wetsuit but instead grabbed the dark blue shirt and leggings. Orm looked out through the floor to ceiling windows, taking in the ocean, the bright blue waves. His home. He slipped on the surface clothes, noting that they were completely comfortable and fitting. Like they were suited exactly for him.

Booted footsteps came down the hall and he turned to see the man that he had caught a glimpse of, after washing up. The man was as tall as him, with bright green eyes and medium length black hair that fell to his shoulder. A scar in the shape of a lightning bolt forked down on his forehead, pointing to his eyes. A dark green t-shirt lay on his chest and jeans hugged his legs, ending in sturdy looking boots.

"Oh, good, you're up. I have breakfast, if you're up for food. I'm Harry, by the way."

Orm blinked at Harry's accent, studying the man, trying to decide if he was human. "I am called Orm."

"Nice to meet you. Come on. Your wounds should be fine," Harry remarked, leaning against the doorway and gesturing out. "Food's this way."

Orm dipped his head in a nod and followed Harry, realizing that the man he had found himself with was human. "You are a doctor?"

"Eh, it's not like I have a mastery in that subject but I know enough to get by. What about you? What do you do?"

Orm stiffened, stopped in his tracks as smells wafted through the air. He had never eaten surface food and wasn't about to start this morning, remembering his father's rants on humans and their oddities.

"No need to tell me right now though. I'm hungry and I need to go feed the animals in the barn," Harry said, shrugging, as they walked into the kitchen. Food lay on plates on the island in the kitchen, food that was steaming and smelled delicious. "Help yourself. There's hot water for tea over by the stove. I'll be a bit."

Orm watched as Harry gestured to the stack of empty plates and then walked through the kitchen, heading for the sliding glass door at the opposite end. The man stepped out and headed towards the barn that sat a few feet away from the home and disappeared into the stable. Orm assumed there were surface horses in there, perhaps some mundane cows, his heart aching at the thought of his own mount. The tylosaur that he had found when he was younger and hadn't yet learned how bad of a father Orvax would turn out to be.

It was a few minutes before he realized that Harry wasn't going to be watching his every move or action, unlike the few weeks he had spent in house arrest after being defeated by Arthur. Everyone had come to gawk at him, including Princess Mera's father and most of the highborn nobles in Atlantis.

His stomach growled after another few minutes, making him move further towards the table, looking over the food that was laid out. Orm had never been on extended trips on the surface so he didn't know what their breakfast looked like but he imagined it to look something like what was on the table.

He looked around at the kitchen and living room beyond it, taking in the simple furniture. The couch looked slept in, facing the room where Orm had woken up, and there was no sign of anything electronic in the home. An impressive looking cleaning instrument stood propped up in a corner by the front door, goggles strapped to it.

There was hot water on the stove, steaming in a kettle. He didn't quite know what it was for though. And he didn't know what the food was on the table but he supposed… if it worked for Arthur, the food could possibly be good. Orm stepped over to the island, looking over the food for at least a few minutes, his stomach growling at the smell and sight of it.

* * *

Orm had just sat down some fifteen minutes later at the table, when Harry walked back in. There were bits of blood in the human man's hair, shining red in the sunlight and Orm's eyes narrowed as he stared at Harry. Harry idly walked over to the kitchen island, grabbed a plate and piled some food on it, grabbed a mug out of a upper cabinet and filled it with the hot water. He then grabbed a bag of what looked like herbs and dropped it into the mug of hot water.

Orm continued to watch as Harry brought both plate and mug over to the table and sat down across from him. He raised an eyebrow at Harry and cleared his throat. Harry peered up at him and then his cheeks reddened a little.

"There's blood, isn't there?"

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair, wiping any and all dirt and blood out. The specks of blood on Harry's face also disappeared. "I'm not a serial killer, if that's what you're worried about."

"I am not worried about that. I can protect myself."

Harry blinked but nodded, scooping up a forkful of food and biting into it. "Sooo…. Why did you wash up here?"

"I was defeated by my half brother," Orm offered, not saying a word about being King of Atlantis or being themselves Atlanteans. He speared some yellow and orange scrambled looking things with a fork and took a small bite, his eyes widening at the taste. It was good. He took another bite of the red-brownish grilled thing and almost moaned at the taste of it.

When he glanced up to look at the man opposite him, Harry's green eyes were soft, his lips twitching up in bemusement.

"Never tried bacon before?"

"I have not."

"Are you the one who threw all of that trash and warships back up on the world's beaches?"

Orm blinked, narrowing his eyes at Harry.

"I might be."

Harry snorted. "If you are, it is understable. Humans have fucked up the planet. I get that. Perhaps… you could… bring attention to the problem some other way though."

"You are not human?" Orm questioned, taking a deep breath and bringing up another bite of food. He watched as Harry took a sip of the herb water before speaking.

"And you are? I'm human, with a little something extra thrown in," Harry explained, shrugging. "I came here because I wanted to be left alone. People are… ridiculous sometimes. Though I have heard about Wonder Woman and Superman and Batman. They sound awesome."

"Batman?"

"I don't know. He lives in Gotham but I don't actually care. I have my friends here and for the time being, I'm okay."

Orm dipped his head in a nod, looking out through the several windows and seeing the sun rise in the sky. "You are not scared of me then."

"I can protect myself too. I had a… curiously busy life up until now, in the spotlight and at war. If anyone comes to do me or my friends harm..." Harry trailed off, giving Orm a meaningful look. "Let's just say they'll regret it."

A loud whinny outside drew both of their attention and Harry stood up, finishing off his breakfast with a last bite. "If you're done, you could join me outside. One of my mares is about to give birth within the next day or so and I want to check on her."

"So those are horses out there in the stable. I thought I heard a roar. I was under the belief that surface horses don't roar."

"Under the belief?" Harry repeated, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms. "You've never seen a horse. Where did you come from?"

"Under the sea," Orm tried out, watching as Harry stared at him.

"Under the sea, as in _Little Mermaid_ under the sea or _Jaws_ under the sea?"

"I do not understand either of those references," Orm said, crossing his arms.

"Of course you don't. Ah well, feel free to return to wherever you're from," Harry offered, picking up his dishes and placing them at the sink. "You're by no means a prisoner here. But if you want to stay, you can stay."

Orm watched as Harry brushed off his clothes and then headed to the back door, the sliding glass door that he walked through earlier this morning.

"I think…" Orm trailed off, standing up and joining Harry at the door. He could easily see the stable that was to the side of the house, a big red, brown structure. "I shall stay for a few minutes."

Harry stared at him then nodded, opening the door and waiting for him to walk out. Orm saw him glance around the surrounding land, perhaps looking for someone or something, and then sigh.

"Mind you, my animals… They're a little picky who they let come up to them," Harry said, winking at him before closing the door and leading the way.

Orm was content enough to follow, looking over the small chunk of surface world that he had found himself in. He was curious, he had to admit. There were no other home or city or town in sight and that made sense with what he had noticed of Harry. There was no car or other visible mode of transportation for the man and he wondered…

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he ran right into Harry, the other man having stopped without him noticing. Harry reached out a hand to stop him, the human warmth radiating from the fingers that ended up in Orm's chest. His own heart raced at the touch and he caught Harry's eyes, the apprehension in them. Blood raced to his cheeks, reddening them a little bit. He tried to turn around, to hide, but Harry's hand kept him right where he was.

Father never thought well of him when he showed emotions other than anger and disgust, especially towards surface dwellers.

They were only halfway to the barn, the sun nearing the midpoint in the sky. There were no clouds in sight, no wind. It was a nice enough day, he supposed.

"Orm, about those animals I mentioned…" Harry started, glancing down to his hand and removing it a second later. "That is Buckbeak."

Orm followed Harry's hand to look at the creature that was galloping over to them, having apparently come from the barn. It looked… like half a horse and half an eagle, an eagle's head and a horse's body. Its front feet ended in claws and its back feet ended in horse's hooves and along with the wings, he certainly didn't think that this creature was normal for the surface.

But it was beautiful, a proud look in its dark eyes as it trotted towards them.

"... May I approach it?"

"Let him come to you and when he stops before us, dip your head in an approximation of a bow," Harry said, eying him before grinning towards the creature. "Hippogriffs are a proud sort and they're picky about who gets to approach them."

"Bow?"

"Bow or don't approach. They're liable to attack people who get up close and personal without introducing themselves first. So either bow or move around me to the other side," Harry remarked, staring at him expectantly. He wasn't staring at him like any noble in court or like his father. There was no… aggression in that look, no disappointment, no judgement, just patience.

Orm returned Harry's stare and then turned to see Buckbeak as the creature finally arrived and stopped just a few feet in front of them. Buckbeak's wings were up against his sides, his dark eyes looking over to Harry before focusing on Orm. The creature's claws dug into the ground as Orm finally bowed, dipping his head and bending at his waist, remembering how to from his mother.

He heard a soft, sharp inhale from next to him and a low rumble from Buckbeak. He peeked out, his eyes widening as the so called hippogriff bowed to him too, bending his front legs and wings rustling.

"You can go over to meet him now," Harry whispered, dropping a light hand onto his shoulder and squeezing. "If you want."

Harry's warmth invaded him as he slowly stood back up and he missed it in the next instant as Harry withdrew. Buckbeak trotted over halfway towards them and Orm closed the distance, holding out a tentative hand. The animal took another step and another until his head dropped onto Orm's hand. Buckbeak rumbled deep in his throat and Orm's eyes widened in awe as the animal leaned into him, letting him run a hand over his feathers. It was so much different than his tylosaur mount, a warm blooded animal with feathers and wings and hooves and claws.

His heart beat so fast as Buckbeak nosed over his skin, seemingly tasting him through his nose. The hippogriff had an eagle head that ended in a rough beak, tickling him as Buckbeak moved up to sniff his shoulder, almost dropping his head onto Orm's back. His lips twitched up into a grin unknowingly as the hippogriff moved to sniffing at his hair and blew a breath of air.

Multiple loud splashes filled the air just as Buckbeak took a step back. Orm immediately turned around, already knowing who it was. Harry took a step closer towards him, his eyes narrowed but not in fright. His green eyes glowed lightly and a cry filled the air, a bird racing out of the barn's upper windows. The bird wasn't a regular surface bird, Orm could see that much. With fiery red wings and feathers, it looked beautiful as it flew over to land on Harry's shoulder.

"Hey, Fawkes."

Queen Atlanna, Mera and King Arthur stood on the dock in front of the house, with Atlan's trident in Arthur's hand. The three looked bewildered as they stared at Orm and Harry, Arthur's golden eyes flicking towards the bird and Buckbeak.

"Orm! You're alright," Atlanna called out, taking a step towards them.

"Is that a phoenix?!" Arthur spluttered, his eyes wide as he followed their mother over to them. "Orm, what are you up to now?"

"I'm not up to anything, my king."

"King?" Harry whispered, elbowing Orm in his side. " _King?_ You didn't tell me your brother was a king."

"Half brother. Harry, meet the new King of Atlantis, King Arthur."

"He's hot," Harry muttered, breathing a deep sigh.

Orm blinked and glared at Harry, who shrugged.

"I didn't say you weren't attractive," Harry retorted. "I just said… Ugh. Look, you're both attractive and I would totally climb you like a tree. There. Happy now?"

"Immensely. Mother," Orm whispered, startling when Atlanna walked over and embraced him.

"What exactly are you king of then?" Harry questioned, peering over at Arthur and Mera.

"Atlantis."

"Oh. Well then. That explains everything," Harry remarked, looking over to where Orm was being looked over by the older woman. She looked like she loved him and Harry was glad to see that. Orm had implied that he had no one. "On second thought, it doesn't explain everything. I thought Atlantis was supposed to be a myth."

"It's not and it's overrated," Arthur muttered, rolling his eyes.

"I heard that," the redhaired woman said.

"Do you need to go now?" Harry questioned, turning to look at Orm, raising an eyebrow. "Sea business and all that?"

"My brother needs all the support he can get," Orm remarked, walking back over to Harry and studying him.

"Is that a dragon in the barn?!" Arthur questioned, raising his voice excitedly.

"Yes, that is a dragon and yes, that bird is a phoenix," Harry replied, grinning at Arthur's clear eagerness. "Orm, you're welcome here anytime, day or night."

"Thank you."

"Or shall I call you Prince Orm?" Harry asked, reaching in to press a quick kiss to the other man's lips. "Any person that Buckbeak likes is okay in my book."

Orm blinked, stared at him, his cheeks reddening subtly.

"Can I meet the dragon?" Arthur asked, turning to look at the barn.

"Sure. Just no sudden movements. She likes eating people."

Arthur snorted and Orm rolled his eyes.

"You are joking, right?" Orm asked quietly.

"Yeah, sure. Let's go with that."

* * *

AN: You can find me on Facebook, look for 'molmcmahon'. Up next is a Harry/Arthur story.


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